Well well well well well, paint me red and call me a girly scout. I've been saying for months now that there's much more collaboration between Apple and Microsoft than their respective fanboys want to believe, especially when it comes to fighting Google and Android, which both companies partly do via patent suits. More evidence for this has emerged today. Remember CPTN Holdings, the consortium led by Microsoft which bought that bundle of patents from Novell? Which other companies are part of this consortium? EMC. Oracle. Apple.

One minor nit.
The deal to purchase these patents is not yet done/completed/monies handed over. That is due in January.
There is still time for another buyer with a better offer to come on the scene. The Novell board are duty bound to consider any new offers especially if they give a better return of capital to shareholders.
some other sites are reporting that VMWare might still be in the 'ball game' so to speak.